23 May 2009
by Frede Jakobsen
The common public opinion is that following the fraud trial against Teachers Group leaders of the Tvind movement, Danish municipalities nowadays hardly ever use the Tvind ‘special schools’ and ‘social work’ institutions.
The truth is quite the opposite.
An investigation by www.tvindalert.com in 2009 shows that an astonishing 75 per cent – or 3 out of 4 – of Danish municipal social departments send kids to Tvind’s 27 so-called social institutions and schools around Denmark. All of these ‘schools’ are led by Teachers Group members, with few – if any – professional staff. Instead they use young, inexperienced people from all over the world to take care of the kids, young people who have paid to be educated as so-called Development Instructors.
According to the information www.tvindalert.com has received from the municipalities, that generated an income to Tvind in 2007 of a least 74.3 million Dkr., and even more in 2008: at least 87.4 million Dkr.
Click here for detailed list of municipalities
Some of the 98 Danish municipalities have been rather unwilling to tell us exactly how much money they pay to Tvind. And some of them have obviously only given us the figures for the Tvind ‘social institutions’, not for the schools. Based on their information we have had to make an estimate – and we have in those cases made a conservative, low estimate. So actually Tvind’s income from the municipalities in 2007 was probably close to 100 million Dkr, and even more in 2008.
All the institutions and schools are located in buildings owned by the Tvind-foundation “Faelleseje” – that means they have to pay rent to “Faelleseje”. According to the yearly financial statements “Faelleseje” has used its surplus to give millions in donations and loans to other Teachers Group-controlled organisations, schools and business in the USA, UK and African countries. In other words: Danish taxpayers are financing Tvind’s expansion in the USA, UK and a lot of African countries.
The 2008 financial statement for “Faelleseje” has not yet been published. But in 2007 “Faelleseje” gave loans and donations of 22 million Dkr. In 2006 the figure for loans and donations was 18 million Dkr.
Tvind ‘spokesman’ Poul Joergensen was CEO and vice-president of the board of “Faelleseje” until January 2009, when he was convicted of tax fraud and embezzlement by a Danish court and and sentenced to two and a half years in prison.
Click here for a detailed list of all 98 Danish municipalities and what they paid to Tvind in the last two years (In Danish – PDF file)
List of Tvind social institutions:
Dagskolen på Tvind, Skorkærvej 8, 6990 Ulfborg.
Friskolen i Tvind, Skorkærvej 8, 6990 Ulfborg.
Den Internationale Efterskole, Skorkærvej 8, 6990 Ulfborg.
Botilbuddet PTG, Skorkærvej 8, 6990 Ulfborg.
Opholdsstedet Apollo, Vilhelmsborgvej 19, 7500 Holstebro.
Friskolen Orion, Gyvelvej 25, Gånsager, 6780 Skærbæk.
Den Internationale Efterskole, Boserupvej 100, 4000 Roskilde
Roskilde Friskole, Boserupvej 100, 4000 Roskilde
Dagskolen på Boserup, Boserupvej 100, 4000 Roskilde.
Opholdsstedet Boserup, Boserupvej 100, 4000 Roskilde.
Småskolen ved Nakkebølle Fjord, Sanatorievej 16, 5600 Fåborg.
Last revised: 11th April 2009
